We’ve made a selection of the best Barcelona eco-hotels and places to stay for the eco-friendly traveler, taking into account both sustainable and overall quality aspects.
It has been a long time since we wanted to make this list. People have often been asking us what the most sustainable and best places to stay in Barcelona wereand we finally decided it was time for a piece on it.
So we started searching the net. We asked our friends in the sustainable world. And we even visited all those places to make sure they really comply with their sustainable guidelines. Finally, you’ve got the list between your hands! It’s a short list that hopefully will keep growing in the future. But, at the moment, those are the best hotels in Barcelona for the eco-friendly traveler. Enjoy!
Most sustainable and best eco hotels in Barcelona
Hostal Grau is not like any other hotel in Barcelona. It is just unique… We literally fell in love with the eco-design, friendliness, and dedication of the owner, Monica. Hostal Grau is a multi-generational family-run hotel, and only recently became one of the most sustainable places to stay in Barcelona. The hotel had always been famous for its friendly service. But Monica took it to the next level when she fully renovated the hostal in a sustainable way in 2012.
Even the mattresses here are natural and organic, and, as you can see on the pictures, most of the furniture has been either handcrafted or recycled, creating a unique atmosphere in the eco-boutique hotel.
But it’s not all. Hostal Grau promotes sustainable mobility, recycling, reduction of water and energy consumption, reduction of plastic use and much more… They renovated the hotel following sustainable construction and they donate their used products (such as bedding, furniture, computers,…) to social entities. They also have a little shop where they promote local, artisanal and fair trade products.
Let’s not forget the most incredible and surprising thing we’ve found when researching for this article on the best hotels in Barcelona. They implemented the OFF- Room concept in several of their rooms, a project meant to minimize the electromagnetic radiations received by hotel guests. Definitely something we’d be up to try out one day…
Carrer de les Ramelleres, 27, 08001
Tip: if you stay in Barcelona center, try out our Barcelona Gourmet Tour, a unique high-end gourmet food tour to discover local, seasonal and organic cuisine.
Casa Camper: the boutique hotel merging design and sustainability
Casa Camper is a beautifully designed modern boutique hotel located in the center of Barcelona.
The urban hotel takes a special care at reducing its impact on the environment. Solar energy is used to heat water, while shower water is re-used for the toilet flush -a simple, but effective measure allowing them to save up to 50% in water consumption.They also promote the use of clean, sustainable transport means and offer bicycles rentals to their guests.
We really like small touches like the hammock in the rooms, and the beautifully designed rooftop and bar with pool tables.
Hotel Pulitzer: a boutique hotel following sustainable guidelines
The Hotel Pulitzer, a 4-star hotel located right in the center of Barcelona, is part of the very few Barcelona hotels leading a change towards sustainability. Pulitzer is one of the only 2 hotels in Barcelona to have been certified under the Biosphere Responsible Tourism certificate.
Pulitzer is doing quite a few things differently. Sustainable technology (LED lights, solar panels, energy-saving domestic appliances), promotion of sustainable mobility for their guests, waste reduction, promotion of recycling and use of eco-cleaning products have already been adopted for long.
But there’s more to the Hotel Pulitzer. Something that will make our foodie readers think twice before they book…
The Barcelona boutique hotel is also home to a restaurant which follows the slow food principles, using ingredients locally sourced from small producers. We haven’t had the chance to try the food there yet, but it looks absolutely delicious.
Let’s not forget to mention the restaurant is decorated with hundreds of plants, making you feel like in a little oasis in the center of Barcelona.
Finally, the Hotel Pulitzer has a nice rooftop terrace to chill out, assist to live music sessions and mix up with the locals.
If you’re into slow food, check out this unique tour to organic local farmers near the Montserrat mountain.
Most sustainable Barcelona rental apartments
Yök Casa + Cultura: the green luxury rental apartments
Yök Casa + Cultura is one of those projects that would be a reason on its own to visit Barcelona. It is a living example of the perfect renovation of a 1900’s Modernist (Catalan Art Nouveau) apartment into 3 green luxury rental apartments.
Petz and Mari’s 3 apartment rentals -which they passionately named casas (homes), are located in the center of Barcelona, just outside the old town. The casas have been renovated conserving the original features of the charismatic building and following eco-design premises. It’s been refurbished in an elegant mix of recycled and handmade furniture. You can still see the original mosaic floors, unique to Barcelona.
Our favorite things at Yök Casa + Cultura?
We fell in love with their unique eco-design, a real treat for the eyes and a wonder for the environment. We felt just like home even though we’ve just been visiting about an hour, imagine staying there for a few days!
They have a holistic approach to sustainability, which you can find everywhere in the apartments. Renewable energies, energy-saving, CO2 offsetting, organic cleaning products, natural luxury beds, easy recycling policies and more will all be found at Yök Casa + Cultura.
It’s definitely a unique opportunity to learn more about sustainable ways to travel, and even to bring back home some more sustainable knowledge.
Cultural events also take place punctually on the beautiful terrace of the Barcelona rental apartments… Another great reason to stay there!
Best Eco-resort in Barcelona
Mas Salagros: an eco resort & spa in the midst of a natural reserve
We just couldn’t leave Mas Salagros away from an article on the most sustainable and best Barcelona hotels… We personally got to know this place a couple of years ago, as we were looking for a relaxing getaway weekend from Barcelona. We discovered this eco-resort, located just 20 minutes away from Barcelona, in the midst of a natural reserve.
The eco-hotel is beautifully designed following sustainable construction criteria. It also has a large restaurant offering healthy, organic Mediterranean food. And let’s not forget about what surely is the most relaxing feature of the hotel… It has an amazing spa, managed by the famous firm Aire, where you can go relax as well.
It didn’t take us long to make our choice and book a room, and we really loved it. They use everything 100% organic. Their furniture is handmade and recycled. And there are so much more details that can make you fall in love with the place and its concept.
The atmosphere was really relaxing, and the place felt truly authentic, with a mix of local and foreigner guests all looking for a peaceful haven near Barcelona.
The hotel is located near the sea, but slightly inland. You can easily hike around on your own, or discover the fantastic surrounding wine area with an organic wine tour. The area is also home to fantastic sustainable agriculture projects which can be visited too.
Best eco-friendly hostels in Barcelona
Jam Hostel: our top eco-hostel in the neighborhood of Gracia
Jam Hostel made us want to be backpacker again 🙂 It’s this kind of hostel that offers you the feeling of being part of a great family, away from home. The type of place where you can enjoy both your time in Barcelona and your time in the hostel. But here’s the thing: it’s also the most sustainable hostel we’ve ever seen (and we’ve seen quite a few when we traveled the world for a year).
Lucia and Damià founded Jam in an attempt to create a different kind of accommodation that could truly be part of the local life. That meant integrating the hostel and their guests in a local neighborhood, but also in a perspective of sustainable development.
The sustainable guidelines Jam Hostel follows are countless, but here are some of our favorites:
They use renewable energies to power up the hostel and take resource-saving measures to reduce the use of both water and electricity.
They promote a proximity-based economy, meaning they use services from super-local companies. They also promote local, organic food. Whenever they recommend services, they also promote small, local companies following the same guidelines.
They promote interaction between locals and visitors by organizing artistic and cultural events. In a city like Barcelona where tourism growth is so important, we can only applaud these type of initiatives.
They are part of the Catalan Network of Solidarity Economy (XES) and try to work with as many social and ethical providers as possible.
Finally, Jam hostel is located away from the busy old town. And this is a unique opportunity to get to know the local neighborhood of Gracia.
Sleep Green: a charming and dedicated eco youth hostel
If you’re looking for eco and budget-friendly accommodation in Barcelona, then Sleep Green might just be your pick. This eco youth hostel is located right in the center of town, in the Eixample neighborhood. Unlike other hostels, Sleep Green was awarded the EU Ecolabel, a European label certifying the sustainability of touristic properties and their services.
It is no surprise, then, to see the numerous efforts that the owners of Sleep Green are taking towards sustainability. Michelle and Alvand, the friendly international couple running the hostel, detailed their accomplishments to us.
They use renewable energy sources, have technology in place to reduce the energy and water consumption, use natural cleaning products, recycle and much more… But most importantly, they take special care of educating their staff and guests towards taking more responsible action steps.
When we came to visit Sleep Green we were received warmly and felt it was a nice and cozy place to stay at in Barcelona. Their dedication to run their business with such care towards sustainability definitely earns them their ranking as one ofthe best ho(s)tels in Barcelona for the eco-friendly traveler.
Ronda Universidad 15, Pral-1, 08007 Barcelona We would like to thank all the mentioned hotels for their hospitality and support while writing the article. All the photo credits go to the respective hotels, which graciously offered us to use their own promotional material. Barcelona Slow Travel is not taking away any commission on those recommendations. They are true recommendations of what we think are the most sustainable and best hotels in Barcelona. If you liked the article and would like to support us, please share it with your friends and/or on social media 🙂 And of course, if you’re planning a trip to Barcelona, do not miss out on our eco-boutique experiences!
Could you find your Barcelona eco hotel already? Did we miss one on the list? Share your thoughts with us on the comments below!